Various Romantic Pursuits
by Stephfunky
Summary: An adventure in Death Note Ocs. Various pairings - all het.
1. Sachio

"Please Shadow

"Please Shadow!" Sachio cried, clutching her hands to her temples desperately. "Please don't leave me! You'll die on this mission - it's suicide!"

"It needs to be done," was the almost emotionless answer. Sachio could feel herself tearing up as she shook her head - hair swinging wildly. "But I-I l-l-l-love you!" She stuttered awkwardly, earning herself a groan and a frenzied yell of 'cut!'

Sachio groaned, her shoulders slumping as she removed her headphones and rested them about her neck. The door to her recording booth swung open and in walked a tall, intimidating woman with dark hair and equally dark eyes.

"Sachio-kouhai, what the hell was that? I understand you're still young but surly you've been in love before?" the woman snapped, crossing her arms and scowling darkly.

Sachio's shoulders slumped further as she bowed her head in a half-witted attempt to hide her raging blush. The younger of the two women shook her head slowly to signify a negative response.

"Fine, you must've at least been on a date."

Another negative shake.

"Have you ever even been kissed?"

"N-n-no Hitomi-san."

Hitomi blinked once, twice, and then cursed rather loudly. "Damn it Sachio! How does someone who looks like you even get away with that!?"

Sachio did not respond, choosing instead to bow her head further.

Pursing her lips, Hitomi growled slightly. "Alright, out!"

"W-w-w-w-what!?" Sachio cried head snapping up so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.

"You heard me!" Hitomi snapped, pointing to the door. "Get out and don't come back until you've been kissed by a man other than your father!"

Sachio blinked wide brown eyes at her surprise. The harsher Hitomi smiled, very slightly. "Your job will be here for you when you come back."

With that simple statement, Sachio nodded quickly and scrambled out - grabbing her coat on the way out. There was no way she was going to give Hitomi enough time to reconsider her decision. Any one else would have been fired ages ago if they had behaved the way Sachio did. It wasn't that she was a bad voice actor or even a bad person - she was just so incredibly shy that it crippled her social skills so badly that most thought her a mute. It seemed, however, that Hitomi had a soft spot for Sachio - but even a soft spot the size of Tokyo would not save Sachio if she didn't get her act together soon.

Sachio stepped out onto the busy walkway outside her work building, pulling her long fur trimmed coat on against the harsh winter wind. How- she wondered as she walked steadily against the oncoming crowds of people - did one go about getting kissed? She did not have the foggiest. Sachio frowned, pulling her jacket closer to her body as she turned into an almost deserted park. She made a beeline for the nearest empty bench and plopped down, burying her face in her hands just to hide from the hopelessness of it all. Sitting there - all alone on such a cold January afternoon - while groaning loudly and hitting herself repeatedly with the palms of her hands, Sachio made such an image of near insanity that the few people in the park avoided her steadfastly. All - that is - but one.

"You really shouldn't hurt yourself - it's not healthy."

Sachio froze, looking up between her slightly spread fingers at the medium sized man that had spoken to her. He was of an average build. Between his dark hair and eyes, he was a fairly average looking man - but there was something about his goofy smile that gave him the look of a happy puppy dog.

"I-I-I-I'm s-s-sorry," Sachio muttered, lowering her hands to twist nervously in her lap. "I d-d-didn't m-mean to b-b-b-b-b-bother y-you."

"You didn't." The man stated, dropping lazily onto the bench beside her, grinning still. "I'm Matsuda! Who're you?"

"S-s-s-s-sachio." She murmured, bowing her head and blushing deeply.

They remained quiet for a few moments before Matsuda broke the awkward silence yet again. "So," he started, leaning forward so he could better see her face. "What's wrong?"

"N-n-nothing."

"People that have nothing wrong with them don't usually hit themselves." Matsuda observed with such a serious expression that Sachio really couldn't help but burst into giggles. Matsuda grinned.

"I s-s-s-suppose t-that's true," Sachio admitted, calming her giggles. "B-b-but my p-problems are of n-n-no c-c-c-concern to you."

Matsuda blinked at her, and then smiled. "I asked didn't I?"

Sachio glanced over at him, blushing furiously. He smiled that same, cute smile right back at her. "I'm a voice actress," Sachio admitted finally, looking down at her feet and speaking softly to avoid stuttering. "And we're doing a love scene right now."

Her dark haired companion leaned in, interest shinning brightly in his large eyes. Sachio studied him steadily. Matsuda's dark eyes looked into her own brown ones and a single dark brow on his face rose questioningly. She instantly blushed, glancing away and continuing - if only to draw attention away from her staring. "But I-I-I-I've n-n-never been in l-l-l-l-love. I've n-never e-e-even been k-k-kissed. And, if I-I-I d-don't get 'kissed b-b-by someone other t-than my f-f-f-father' (here Sachio air quoted) then I-I-I'm f-fired." This time Sachio did not look up at Matsuda for fear of being caught staring yet again.

Matsuda stayed silent for a few moments, staring thoughtfully off into the distance. "Hey Sachio-Chan?"

Sachio glanced up blushing. Before she even had time to speak Matsuda grabbed her chin gently and pulled her forward. He leaned down, meeting her lips with his own soft, pink pair. Staring with eyes the size of diner plates, Sachio could do nothing more than sit and ogle at the smooth lids closed over Matsuda's sweet eyes. That is until she felt a smooth, wet organ sweep gently against her closed lips. Sachio granted him entrance, eyes sliding shut as she felt the rambunctious tongue of the equally rambunctious man play against her own. She answered its call for play, moaning very softly at the new sensations. After what felt like an eternity kissing this strange new man Sachio pulled back to breath in fresh, cool air. She glanced down and blushed deeply when she found herself no longer sitting next to Matsuda - but rather on him. On his lap, to be more accurate, with his large hands gripping her hips very gently - as if he thought she was made of glass.

Sachio looked up, blush still in place, and meet Matsuda's eyes. He grinned rather widely, squeezing his hold on her hips slightly. "Now you get to keep your job!' Matsuda cried joyously and it was such a surreal, stunning moment that Sachio felt there was only one thing she could do. Therefore, she leaned forward - pecked him very timidly, then burst into wild giggles. Matsuda stared for all of three second before bursting into laughter as well, using his grip on her hips to pull her into a tight bear hug.

"So," Matsuda said, blushing very slightly as he laughed. "Do you think we could do this again? Maybe as a couple?"

Calming herself for the second time since Matsuda sat next to her Sachio leaned back, blushing as well. She looked his nervous expression over, toying absently with a curl of hair at the nap of his neck. Sachio's blush deepened, but still she steeled herself - leaning forward just enough to press her forehead against Matsuda's. "I think that sounds wonderful," She whispered softly, smiling gently when Matsuda grinned and tightened his slightly possessive hold on her waist.


	2. Ruri

Ruri sighed very softly, letting her fingertips ghost over the keys of her piano - careful not to actually touch one of them

Ruri sighed very softly, letting her fingertips ghost over the keys of her piano - careful not to actually touch one of them. This motion earned her a glare from the stage manager, causing her to immediately pull her precious hands to her chest least the short tempered April do something rather violent to them.

"Such treatment does not seem inductive to creative work."

Ruri literally lit up in excitement, craning her neck backwards to better glimpse the speaker. There stood L, looking very uncomfortable in his beaten tennis shoes. He offered her a very slight smile, ever-wide eyes taking in the details of the backstage area.

"Are you sure this will work?" Ruri questioned softly, turning back to face her piano in the hopes of hiding her light pink blush.

"There is a 97 chance that my plan will go off without problems, a 2 chance that your 'fan' will not show up, and a 1 chance that he will kill you before we can stop him."

"Kill me!?" Ruri cried, somewhat shrilly - whipping around to look at L again.

L nodded, apparently unaware of Ruri's distress. "He has a 'If I can not have her, no one can' mentality."

The young girl let out a soft sound of distress, systematically bunching and releasing the generous skirt of her blue dress.

"The chances of you incurring damage are very slight." L assured, trying rather unsuccessfully to calm Ruri's nerves.

Ruri nodded, steeling herself slightly. "I-I-I know I j-just never thought this would happen when I started singing."

L gave her a look that quite clearly said he thought her dim. "You never thought that - on the rather high chance that you'd become famous - you would have stalkers?"

"None that wanted to hurt me," she whispered softly, her spine stiffening slightly when she noticed April giving her a hand sign signaling that she would be going on stage within the minute. "Wait," she called L - who at this point was just steps away from the service entrance. He looked up at her, not bothering to a say a word - rather just giving her a curious look. "The high chance I'd become famous?"

L grinned slightly, a flush spreading across the bridge of his nose. "Your beauty and talent are unsurpassed - it was only a matter of time before you became a star." He then continued on his way - not giving Ruri time to respond. This, she thought rather absently, was fortunate considering that all she seemed to be able to do at the moment was stare and blush.

The sharp jerk of the lift both she and the piano sat upon managed to snap the young singer to her senses, just in time for the lift to deposit her center stage before what seemed like millions of screaming fans. Again Ruri sighed - this time in happiness - as she easily spread long fingers over ebony and ivory keys, allowing the first chords of her set starter flow from her like water.

Ruri practically squealed as she bounced about happily backstage. She was half-singing, half yelling a mantra of 'It worked!' while spinning and dancing about wildly. The stalker - who had on several occasions tried to hurt Ruri herself and her friends - was ensnared by L's ingenious plan. All without anyone in the audience being harmed - or even knowing what was going on. It was the ultimate success and Ruri half wished that she could pay L three times the amount they had planed on when her manager hired him.

She squawked indignantly when she felt her manager - a large, muscular American man named James - grip her shoulders in a firm but gentle grip to prevent her cheerful dancing.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself Haruno-san. We all know how klutzy you can be." He chuckled and it was a deep, dark sound that had sent chills down the petite Ruri's spine in the past. Since she had met L however... She blinked, seemingly coming back to herself.

"Where's L?" Ruri queried, bending her neck back quite a bit so that she could see James' face. He opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by April.

"He left."

Ruri blinked slowly, hands clenching slightly. "Without saying goodbye?" She spoke softly to hide the pain she could feel shooting through her.

April shrugged as she busied herself with some paperwork.

Ruri - easily the youngest of everyone here - frowned darkly, biting her lip. Suddenly, inspiration hit her. "What's the billing address?" She demanded, shaking off James' hands and turning to face him.

He stared at her. "The wha?"

"The billing address," she snapped peevishly, crossing her arms. "What's L's billing address?"

Still James stared at her, as if dumbfounded by her request. It wasn't until Ruri's foot began tapping that he seemed to wake up from his state. Nodding he turned and jogged over to a lone briefcase laying on its side on a nearby table. The large man snapped it open easily and rifled through the papers before withdrawing a small yellow piece of paper. He handed it to the anxious Ruri who took one look at the paper, smiled, and took off running.

It was dark when Ruri finally arrived at the rather imposing looking building. She was wrapped up rather tightly in a floor length trench coat, a long dark scarf, a dark hat, and dark sunglasses - all to deter anyone from recognizing her. She fancied herself a rather intimating figure - and she would have had it not been for the fact that she was barely 4'7. Resolutely, Ruri marched up to the front of the building and pressed the call button on the two-way speaker.

"Hello, how may I help you?" Came the kindly voice of an old man.

"I want to speak with L," she spoke clearly, leaning towards the box slightly.

"I'm sorry, there's no one here by that -"

"Now!" Ruri snapped, causing the man on the other end to chuckle slightly and connect her.

"This is L," spoke the box in a distorted, almost childish voice.

Ruri frowned, crossing her arms and pouting slightly. "Why didn't you say good bye?" She asked, not bothering to identify herself.

There was a sigh from the other end, then a sharp click. "What are you doing here?" L's voice answered, completely undisguised.

Ruri ignored the question as she pulled her arms tighter around herself. It was cold tonight. "Why didn't you say good bye?" she repeated stubbornly, huddling closer to the speaker box.

"Because I didn't want to."

Ruri gasped slightly, drawing back as if hit. She felt tears welling in the corners of her eyes and she did nothing to stop them. "That's awfully mean," she pouted, tears running tracks down her otherwise unblemished cheeks. "I just wanted to celebrate -your plan went so well and... And... You should have seen it. I was dancing."

"A sight for sore eyes I'm sure."

Ruri glared at the box, mentally picturing it as L's slightly grinning face. "Bastard," she growled, glaring harder.

On the other end, L huffed. "Why do you care if I said goodbye or not?" Ruri could hear the indignant screech of someone in the background, and she mentally agreed with them. Nevertheless, L's question clobbered her and left her blinking curiously. Why did she care? It took her only a few seconds before the answer hit her twice as hard as the question.

"Because," Ruri replied, suddenly timid. "Because I love you."

Silence. She waited, staring at the speaker box with her heart breaking just a little bit more with every silent second that passed.

"I'll just be going now," The young songstress muttered despondently, turning to leave. She had not gotten more then two steps away, however, when she heard L yell - as if he were right behind her, "Wait!" She blinked, looking over her shoulder to find that L was, in fact, right behind her. He was red in the face, huffing and panting as if he had just run a marathon. After a few terse seconds he straightened, well - part way, and looked down at her. That, Ruri thought, was just not fair. He wasn't even standing up straight and L was still much taller than she was. She huffed, lifting her head to look him in the eye.

"What?"

L looked her over, dark eyes shinning with some strange look. "Don't you want to know why I didn't say good bye?"

Her brow furrowed and Ruri frowned. "No," she snapped, stomping her foot slightly and turning to leave. Two slender, pale arms wrapped across her shoulders stopped the girl cold. Ruri felt herself, rather against her will, melting into the embrace and leaning in closer to the heat L provided. It really was a cold night tonight.

He bent down even further, resting his dark head of hair on Ruri's shoulder - his mouth right next to her ear. L puffed out a breath of warm air against her bare ear playfully - causing Ruri to shiver slightly. "I didn't say good bye," he murmured, deep voice stirring something deep within the younger and smaller girl. "Because I never want to have to say good bye to you."

Ruri's breath paused as she went rigid in L's arms. "I love you too Ruri."

The small girl smiled slightly, allowing herself to lean against L. "You're still a bastard," she muttered - grinning when she felt his chest rumble with a deep, contented chuckle.


	3. Lolita

Lolita bit her bottom lip gently, extending her right leg up and out as far as it would go

Lolita bit her bottom lip gently, extending her right leg up and out as far as it would go. Upon receiving the signal, she curled it in while spinning gracefully as her back arched out and her arms spread - as if in greeting. Soft gasps of awe could be heard all throughout the large concrete room - but Lolita ignored them, choosing instead to focus on not damaging the rather intricate cobalt dress she had been put in. Finally, her right and left legs meet again, connecting at the calves and heels of her feet. With spread arms and a smug smile, Lolita bowed deeply to her audience. There was silence and then - starting out awkward and scattered before spreading to the entire staff - there was applause.

"That was amazing," one man - Lolita thought he was one of the voice actors - crooned, smiling widely.

Lolita lifted her slender body back into the rigid stance. "Thank you," she replied, sending him the smile she had mentally labeled her princess smile. The man blushed and inner Lolita pumped her fist in victory. Oh how she enjoyed teasing men.

She more or less ignored the rest of the praise sent her way - focusing instead on getting down to the human resources department and picking up her check. Lolita changed into her own clothes - a simple loose black outfit that was leagues more comfortable than her earlier ordinate dress. Without bothering to remove the orange, circular dots spanning her body for electronic purposes, Lolita headed down to the offices - day dreaming of a hot bath and some beer.

Ambling into the once neatly decorated office, Lolita was shocked to find the young woman in charge of paychecks running from one end of the room to the other with files in hand.

The woman paused shortly, looking up at Lolita with her normally neat hair wild. "Hello Ms. Anderson -if you'll wait just a moment I'll get your paycheck." Without waiting for an answer, the girl continued her trek across the room. "You'll have to excuse me - I wasn't expecting to be so busy!"

Lolita watched in befuddlement as the harried woman disappeared through a mysterious doorway, mumbling something rather rapidly under her breath. She continued to stare for a good minute or two before finally snapping to. With a put out sigh Lolita nodded, looking around the room. There were files thrown haphazardly about, the filing cabinet looked as if it had been kicked, and a large cup of coffee lay on its side on the room's only desk. Sitting amidst the chaos, smoking and looking bored was a tall red headed man wearing goggles. Lolita frowned but went to sit in the only other chair - which happened to be next to the man.

He watched calmly as she approached. When Lolita sat, he looked her over - unabashedly checking her out. Finally, the redhead flicked the ash from his cigarette and smiled at her.

"Know how much a polar bear weighs?" He asked, cocking a brow questioningly.

Lolita snorted, arms crossed. "Enough to break the ice?" she offered dryly.

The man placed his hand upon his chest, gasping dramatically. "You stole my punch line!" He accused, flicking his cigarette absently.

Lolita snorted again, rolling her eyes.

"Ah, there's no need to be angry - I was just making conversation."

"You were hitting on me."

The man shrugged, puffing out a mouthful of smoke. "Well, normally I'd consider a girl like you out of my league - but considering the fact that you're covered with orange spots..."

"Don't make me hit you," she warned, looking away crossly.

The redhead grinned, replying, "Ah, so you're a sadist. Well, I'm not much of a masochist but 70 of all sadists are masochists as well. Chances are you are a masochist. Now that..." Here he paused, again checking her out. "That," He repeated, stressing the word and giving Lolita a suggestive look. "I could get into. Maybe a little role-play... I'll be the teacher and you be the cute little school girl in need of a good spanking."

Staring in two parts awe one part disgust, Lolita absently wondered if this man had been dropped on his head during childhood.

He stared back unflappably for a brief moment before waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Lolita couldn't help it - she laughed, smiling briefly.

The mystery man smirked, admiring her as she giggled. "Ah lookie there," he observed. "I made a gorgeous woman laugh."

For some reason far beyond her understanding, Lolita actually felt herself blushing.

"So -" the goggled wonder started, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "I gotta ask - why are you covered in dots? Please don't tell that's the latest fashion trend." He scowled darkly watching as the young human resources woman ran in, grabbed a file, and ran out - pausing only to kick the filing cabinet peevishly. "Hey girls!" he cried randomly in falsetto, waving his hands wildly in an excited manner. "Let's all go make ourselves look like diseased chickens! Who needs to be individuals? Let's all be the same exact bimbos that every guy sees twenty of on every street corner."

"Hmm, no -" Lolita interrupted before he had a chance to continue in his disturbing rant. "I decided to look like a diseased chicken all on my own. I was going to add feathers - but it turns out I'm allergic to poultry. Hence, the dots."

"Ah. So, they gonna go away soon?"

Lolita frowned, removing a dot placed on the tip of her nose. "Actually," she stated, picking another off the apple of her cheek. "The creepy thing is that I can pick them off."

"Gross," the man replied simply, looking like he wanted to laugh.

She smiled, picking another dot off before placing it in the middle of his forehead.

He squealed, again in falsetto - flapping about as he made himself go cross-eyed staring at the dot. His wild movements made the chair tip precariously for several seconds before finally tipping and depositing him carelessly on the floor. There, he continued flailing around like a suffocating fish - stopping only when Lolita reached over and calmly plucked the sticker from his head. Finally the redhead stopped, climbing back into his chair and lighting up a cigarette as if nothing had happened.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lolita asked plainly, cocking a slender brow.

He paused, trying and failing to make a ring with his smoke before nodding and drawing in another drag. "Totally."

"You do this with every girl you meet or just me?"

"Only the ones as pretty as you are."

"And how many would that be?"

"So far? Just you."

A bright pink blush spread over her cheeks - causing Lolita to bow her head.

"You're a flirt," she accused, not looking up at him.

The man smiled softly, bumping his shoulder against hers. "Well, yes. But I'm sweet and loyal and energetic."

"So you're a dog." Lolita stated in monotone.

He grinned.

"I was in research," she finally explained, picking another sticker - this time from her bare shin. "They used these spots to monitor my movements. Make the character's more believable."

His expression brightened and he sat up straighter - suddenly looking even more interested in her. "You're the model for one of the characters?"

"Yup," Lolita replied, nodding. "Tia Shari."

The man smiled. "She rocks. I'm a games tester. They have me play the prototype to help work out the kinks."

Lolita smirked, tilting her head to the side in amusement. "Your dream job, eh?"

The man laughed, nodding. "You know it! I'm Matt by the way."

She smiled back softly. "Lolita."

They fell into a comfortable silence, both smiling slightly.

"So," Matt finally said, grinning at Lolita. "Did it hurt?"

"When I fell from heaven?"

Matt nodded and Lolita could help but smile. She leaned forward - pecking him gently on the lips. "Terribly so," she replied.

He smirked, grasping her hand in his own without looked at her.

"You're very subtle aren't you?" Lolita asked somewhat sarcastically.

"Oh yes," Matt replied, still not looking at the hand he had trapped in his own. "I'm a ninja."


	4. Lyark

"What is it

"What is it?" Matsuda asked, staring in awe at the floor.

The entire investigation team stood, forming a semi circle around the thing - with Misa cowering rather unhappily in the corner.

"It's a snake," Raito answered slowly, sending a Matsuda a patented 'You're an idiot' look.

The happy man did not seem to notice to look he was receiving - choosing instead to nod slowly, mouth agape. "It's a big snake," he agreed, keeping his eyes on the huge snake. The massive creature was easily seven feet long and striped with thick gold and black alternating bands. The snake was also asleep, seemingly uncaring of the fact that his chosen bed was the middle of L's stainless stone floor.

L blinked, leaning forward to better inspect the creature - making sure to keep a respectful distance. "That is a krait." He finally stated, returning to his customary stance. "They are an extremely dangerous type of water snake."

Soichiro looked down at the snake, frowning deeply. "We shouldn't touch it - who knows what it could do if we anger it."

All the men agreed, surrounding and watching the sleeping reptile. Still none of them moved.

"We can't just leave it here," Aizawa said finally.

Misa meeped, pulling herself into an even smaller ball. "Kill it!" she ordered, pouting when they all ignored her.

"We should call someone to move it." Matsuda stated, giving Misa a half way apologetic half-sympatric glance.

"Hmm," L hummed in agreement, absently biting his thumb. "There are very few people legally allowed to move one of these though..."

"Where does the nearest one live?"

L turned, heading towards the computers set up against the far wall. Raito steeled himself for the end of the chain to come, frowning peevishly. The end, however, did not come - and it was not until that moment that Raito recalled his freedom. He looked down at his thin and bruised wrist - happy to see no handcuff attached. Soon, he added mentally while watching L work, L will die. Then no one will be in the way of his perfect world.

"The closest one is in France," L called back to then, hunched towards the computer screen. "Dr. Dorẻ of Montelimar, France. Currently on a research trip to Japan."

Watari's customary W appeared on one of the large screens. "I'm sure if we asked, he could be here within a few hours."

"Do what ever!" The blond Misa screeched loudly, jumping to her feet on the couch, she had chosen as her high ground. "Do what ever it takes to get that thing out of here!"

Dr. Lyark Dorẻ stood in the rather stark lobby (if you could call it that) of her impromptu client's building. She was bundled up in a knee length blue plaid coat, a dark blue scarf, and a matching knit hat. Looking around curiously, she pulled off her hat - freeing long Russian blue hair. Lyark cleared her throat absently, walking towards what looked like a call box.

She pushed the small red button, frowning when no answer came for several minutes. And then... "Hello Dr. Dorẻ, please feel to remove all outdoor garments and place them on the table to your right. Once you are done, walk through the metal detector and take the elevator to level 14." All this was said by what sounded like a kindly old man - only there was a rough, annoyed edge to his otherwise smooth voice.

Lyark nodded her acceptance, not bothering to respond as she set her hat on the table. She easily slid her jacket and scarf off, pausing only to straighten her pleated blue skirt before heading through the large electronic arch. The blue-silver haired woman wandered down the empty hall, trying and failing to find something of interest. Even the elevator was a boring stainless steel - with no music what so ever. Frowning deeply, Lyark chose instead to play with the long sleeves of her blue sweater - noting absently that whoever designed this building simply had to be the most boring person ever. The doors finally opened on the right floor and she instantly wished they had not.

There was a small blond girl jumping around on the black couches set up in the corner of the large singular room. As she jumped, she squealed loudly - yelling out random and mostly violent suggestions. No wonder the man who had spoken to her was unhappy - Lyark was sorely tempted attack the girl.

Instead, she stepped into the room, clearing her throat slightly. The blond girl paused, staring at her in stunned silence. "Hey!" she cried suddenly, scowling obnoxiously. "We called for Dr. Dorẻ - not one of his assistants."

This statement drew the attention of all the room's various occupants - all the men turning to look at her. Lyark ignored them - only for the moment- so she could tear apart the arrogant blond woman. "'Ow typical," she announced, sneering very slightly. "You 'eard ze term doctor and assumed it would be a man."

The blond woman stared absently. "Wha?"

Lyark twitched. "I am Dr. Dorẻ you daft woman! Dr. Lyark Dorẻ!"

"Y-y-you... but you're so young."

"I 'ave been studying reptiles since childhood," Lyark supplied, deflating slightly. "I am considered a prodigy."

"So..." the blond looked off and to the side. "You started college early then?"

"At 12."

"Oh."

With a slightly disappointed sigh, Lyark turned to the room's other occupants. "I apologize," she stated, bowing gracefully. "I would be ze first to admit zat I am a proud woman..."

One of the men, a tall handsome brunet nodded in understanding - sending her a friendly smile. The others seemed to jump from the state of shock and all offered her some form of greeting. A strange man with wild, dark hair considered her from a distance before finally calling out a soft hello. She returned the greetings, doing her best to ignore the now pouting blond.

"So..." Lyark paused, glancing around for the snake she had come to collect. "Where is ze animal? I believe it was a krait, no?"

"It has moved elsewhere. One of my men will show you to it - but first, I have a question for you.' Lyark nodded her acceptance - waiting patiently for the strange man to continue. "What is your opinion of Kira?"

"My opinion of ze Kiras and zere actions are none of your concern. I am 'ere to capture a deadly, neurotoxin wielding snake - not talk politics."

The wild haired man and everyone else for that matter, looking more interested. "Kiras?" An older, distinguished looking man repeated - stressing the s."

Lyark nodded, crossing her arms in agitation. "Any 'alf-wit would 'ave noticed ze differences in styles. Zere 'ave been at least 3 different Kiras - each with a different style of killing. Ze original Kira seems to be ze only one with any care for ze circumstances of ze crime. Ze second Kira was likely a woman because all ze criminals she killed were zose reported during ze daily 'soap opera' time period. Finally, ze third Kira killed only zose whose deaths would bolster ze profits of 'is company - ze Yotsuba group. 'Onestly - did you zink no one outside of zis country 'ad noticed?" She shook her head absently - as if shaming them for their arrogant beliefs. "Now, if you would please show me to ze snake, my time is very valuable and I don't 'ave much more of it to waste 'ere."

The wild haired man nodded dumbly, gesturing the tall brunet who had smiled at her earlier forward. "Are you sure you won't speak more with me? You seem very clever..." The man stared at her with wide, dark eyes pleading while he nibbled on the corner of his thumb.

"I am afraid I cannot today."

The dark haired, pale-skinned man wrapped his arms around his knees which were drawn close to his chest. "Another time?"

Lyark allowed a slight smile to twist at the corners of her mouth. "I shall consider it."

He nodded and finally allowed the tall brunet to lead her away. Together they walked in silence - slowly leaving behind the screeching sound of the blond. When they could finally hear her no more Lyark sighed, allowing her shoulders to slump slightly. "Is she always like zat?" She questioned absently, not looking at the man.

"Always," he replied with a hint of amusement tingeing his voice.

"I am supremely sorry."

The man laughed, smiling slightly. "I'm Raito Yagami," he said, stopping to offer her his hand.

Lyark blushed softly, taking the proffered appendage. "I would give my name, but I try not to be repetitive." Raito grinned slightly, bringing her hand up to his lips and placing a soft kiss on the back. Her blushed deepened even further, causing her to duck her head.

"You are trying to woo me," the light haired girl stated, not looking up at Raito.

The brunet grinned down at her slightly, keeping her hand captive in his own. "Perhaps - but in my defense, how can I not? I have found myself face to face with a beautiful, intelligent, Kira supporter."

Lyark froze, rising blue eyes to meet Raito's shinning burgundy. "What makes you zink such a zing?"

He grinned, continuing down the barren hallway until they reached a tall black door. The taller of the two looked around discreetly before opening the door and pulling her inside. The two stood in what looked like an extremely futuristic stainless steel bathroom. Curled up in a large sink and looking dead too the world was the snake she had been called to collect. Lyark had not been given the chance to approach to slumbering reptile because the moment the door closed completely Raito gripped her wrist firmly. He spun her easily so that they were facing each other. "If you didn't support Kira, you wouldn't have hesitated to say as such."

Lyark blinked, realizing her folly much too late. "I suppose zat is true," she conceded before looking Raito in the eye. "But why would you be 'appy about zat?"

Again, he smiled a calculating smile. "Because," he stated, leaning down so they were at eye level. "You are beautiful, intelligent, and a Kira supporter. What's more - you understand me and my true purpose."

"Your... true... purpose." She echoed brokenly, before her eyes grew several sizes in realization. "You?"

Raito's eyes narrowed slightly as he smirked. He leaned forward, pressing a caste kiss against her pink lips. "Yes, I am Kira and I want you for my queen."

Lyark was completely shocked. She closed her open mouth and turned to the snake, withdrawing a simple burlap sack from under her oversized sweater. Collecting the snake with easy movements - she thought rapidly on what Raito had just admitted to her. She simply could not imagine that Raito was lying - it positively was not possible. However, that would mean this handsome man was Kira and he wanted... her? Why? Sure, she was smart - but it wasn't as if she had any of the same powers as him. So... "Why?"

Raito looked up at her, frowning slightly. Why did he want this foreign woman so much? It was true that she was stunning - but he had never been the type to hold looks in such high regard. It was... just her. From the moment he had seen her, Raito had wanted nothing more than to have her as his own. He did not want to use her - he didn't even want her to go anywhere near the death note. He just wanted her. Raito smiled softly at the girl now looking at him with pleading blue eyes, holding the large sack containing the snake that had started it all in her small hands.

"Love at first sight." The brunet supplied, walking the few steps between the two. He reached out, running a slightly tanned hand through her curiously colored hair - his grin widening when she blushed.

"Zere is no such zing," Lyark replied, leaning into Raito's warm body. "Admit it; it was my accent zat attracted you."


	5. Jerica

Jerica wrinkled her nose, covering it with the sleeve of her navy jumpsuit as the scent of burnt flesh assaulted her

Jerica wrinkled her nose, covering it with the sleeve of her navy jumpsuit as the scent of burnt flesh assaulted her. She looked around the room that was almost completely destroyed. The few bits of wall that were left standing were sprayed with blood and bits of flesh.

"Oh, eww." The redhead stated plainly, stepping over a crumbled piece of ceiling to join her supervising officer in the center of the room.

"What happened here?" Jerica asked with light blue eyes narrowed as she looked around.

"Explosion," the older blond man stated, giving her a look.

Jerica scowled at him, shifting her metal plated supply box from one hand to the other. "Well duh," she stated, careful not to step on anything as she turned to look around. "But all this blood? Someone was close to the bomb when it went off."

The man, a Mr. Davis, shrugged carelessly. "I've called it in and have received orders to not pursue it."

She stared at him, not sure what to say next. "Then, why am I here?"

"Dispatch sent you CSIs out before I could stop them."

"And the blood? Someone is seriously hurt, if not dead."

"Not our concern." Davis replied, walking slowly but surely to the blow open doors.

"WHY NOT!?" she snapped, going slightly red in her anger.

Davis cocked a brow at her but did not comment on her reaction. "This is a mafia hideout - not our responsibility if the bastards decide to blow themselves up."

Jerica puffed her cheeks out, eyes narrowing. The elder of the two, however, seemed to recognize the early signs of a patented Potter Rant and made fast work of leaving. At least he hadn't managed to avoid her piercing glare as he left without a second glance. Once the balding man was out of sight she growled slightly, stomping her foot in anger. How dare the prejudice son of a bitch! Why did it matter if they were mafia or not? Someone was hurt! Suddenly she paused, looking around. It was then that Jerica realized that she was all alone. Alone with only this bountiful amount of evidence to keep her company.

A slow grin spread over her face as she leaned down to set her box on a piece of broken rubble. Blood, and hair, and skin - oh my!

Sometimes, Jerica mused absently while swinging off her motorcycle, it was sweet to have connections and mad bargaining skills. Who would have thought that the uptight lab rat Craig would have a crush on her? Jerica couldn't help grinning as she tucked her helmet under her arm and she walked into an empty elevator. All it took was a peck and the boy had been putty - willing to do any forensic test she wanted.

Again she smiled smugly, humming along to the instrumental ditty playing in the small metal box. By the time the elevator had finally reached her desired floor, the redheaded woman was dancing about wildly. A loud bell-like sound rang out and Jerica found herself face to face with a negative looking Asian man with golden brown hair. Hanging off his arm like a leech was a blond girl, cooing and sending loving glances at the man. He sent her a look that clearly said he would rather be elsewhere, causing Jerica to chuckle in response. She sent him a peace sign, laughing harder when he scowled just before the doors to the elevator closed.

Feeling much more light-hearted, Jerica continued on her way while keeping a close eye on the numbers on the hotel doors. Walking up the desired door that she had finally located, Jerica straightened out her clothes - trying to look a bit more professional. She knocked steadily on the door - waiting patiently. Someone inside called out some garbled greeting, followed by a crashing noise, and a series of various yells. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as Jerica waited for someone to answer the door. She shifted nervously from one foot to the other, absently humming out the first few bars of her current favorite song. Growing more bored by the second, Jerica decided to throw caution to the wind - sacrificing an intimidating first impression for her own entertainment - and began to dance around to the music only she could hear. This, she found, was not her best idea because not a second later the sound of someone coughing came from the now open doorway to suite 1326.

Jerica glanced back at the rather sweet looking Japanese man who smiled at her in greeting. She turned, straightening wild red hair and nodding at him in greeting.

"My name is CSI Jerica Potter; I'm here to speak with Mogi-kun."

The man blanched, stepping back. "U-u-uh, no one here by that name?"

"Nice try sweetie, but he's registered to this suite."

He flushed, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Ah, well - I didn't think of that."

Jerica smiled. "Obviously," she observed - grinning when he blushed even more. He stepped back to grant her entrance, apologizing all the while. The blue-eyed woman waved it off, looking for and immediately finding her old friend Mogi in the small room. It wasn't until she tried to walk over to greet him that she noticed the electronic mess covering the floor. She glanced around, eyes wide in shock. "Dear god," she muttered, completely shocked. "It looks like a transformer threw up in here."

"Yes well, not that I am not happy to see you Jerica-Chan..." Mogi trailed off, knowing she would get his point.

"I know. I know, but what am I doing here? Well, I'm afraid this isn't a social visit Mogi-kun." Jerica replied with eyes still trained on the mess. She finally shook herself free of the shock, looking up at her long time friend. "Who ever did this needs to be crucified," she stated rather pointedly, frowning deeply.

"We plan to," another man that she had not noticed before said, glaring at the door answerer.

She nodded, sending the new man a look of sympathy before turning her attention back to Mogi. "I recently processed a crime scene," the redhead stated, staring him down despite the fact that she barely came to his chest. "Guess whose DNA I found?"

Mogi had the sense to look ashamed.

"I don't care that you were there," Jerica said bluntly - causing him to look up in shock. "I don't care why. All I need to know is who else was there with you."

"No one." He immediately answered, as if trained.

Slowly, she blinked in disbelief. "I've known you since we were 12, don't even try to lie to me buddy. There was a lot of blood and none of it matched yours."

He sighed, looking defeated. "The only person who really bleed was a man named Mello."

"With the mafia?"

He nodded.

"I thought so - do you have a picture?"

"No," the happy man interrupted, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "But we have a drawing."

"A drawing," Jerica parroted, giving the man a look of disbelief.

"It's a really good drawing!" He assured, clasping his hands. "Here! I'll go get a copy for you!" He then proceeded to scramble over the pile of broken electronics with the speed and grace of a high hamster.

She watched him with wide eyes before turning to Mogi. "Were his parents brother and sister?" The new man snorted, but said nothing as Mogi assured her that whatever problems Matsuda (she assumed this to be the hamster man) had were all his own.

With a speed that Jerica had not expected from Matsuda, the happy-go-lucky Japanese man returned brandishing a copy of a pencil drawing.

"Wow," she muttered, helmet tucked neatly under her arm as she looked over the drawing. "Well, what do ya' know? It is good."

Matsuda nodded eagerly. "See? See? I told you."

"So you did," Jerica muttered, before smiling up at him. She leaned in, pecking him on the cheek and laughing when he blushed. "Thank you boys, I've gotta go now." Skipping and jumping around the messy room easily, Jerica paused at the door to look back at Mogi. "And you!" she shouted, pointing at him with a slight glare. "You and I are having lunch this Saturday, no excuses. I'll pick you up around noon." And off she went before Mogi had time to protest, as he doubtlessly would have given the opportunity.

Jerica glanced down at the drawing she held in her hands - sighing softly. Seven hours of being felt up by smelly mafia men and propositioned by drug mongers and all she had learned was that Mello had a penchant for leather and chocolate. She frowned, rubbing her thumb gently along the curve of drawing Mello's hair - which, she had been told, was a lovely golden color. A light flush spread across her slightly tanned cheeks. He was very handsome and was very much her type - that is if he's still alive. For all she knew he was buried under that blown up building. No! Jerica interrupted her own thoughts decisively. There had been no evidence what so ever that Mello had died in the building. In fact, all evidence pointed towards him being alive. Jerica squared her shoulders, prepared to run off into the fray to find Mello and make sure he was okay. She then realized that she had no idea where to start. Shoulders slumping in dejection, Jerica pulled at her hair absently.

"Damn it Mello!" she yelled suddenly, flailing around and falling onto her back. The sidewalk underneath her was likely very, very dirty but at the moment the redhead couldn't care less. Her eyes remained shut, hands clenched in long hair as she growled rather loudly. "Where the hell are you Mello!?"

"Right here," answered a smooth, amused sounding man.

Jerica's eyes snapped open in shock, her own bright blue staring into the bored teal of Mello's eyes. She had been right - Jerica noted absently, Mello was very good looking. He stood tall and relaxed above her sprawled form, decked out in all black leather. He looked very similar to the boy in the drawing - more mature and with a rather impressive scar on the left side of his face, but still very similar.

"You found me," she muttered in complete shock. Mello nodded, smirking. "You bitch! I've been looking for you for seven hours and you found me? Not fair!" Jerica pointed an accusing finger at him, not yet standing.

Mello looked her over, considering her. Calculating her. Then, without warning, he sat across her hips and pinned her thin wrists above her head. He leaned in, letting his warm breath brush against her deeply blushing cheeks. Jerica gulped, unsure for what seemed like the first time in her memory.

"What I want to know is why you were looking for me Ginger." It was not a question, but a statement. For one reason or another, Jerica felt obligated to answer.

"I found your blood." She murmured, staring up into his captivating eyes. "At the blown up building and I... I was worried. That someone had been hurt."

Mello cocked a brow, leaning closer to her - letting his mouth rest near her ear. "So, when you found out it was my blood why did you keep looking?"

Jerica breathed deeply, closing her eyes shortly. She opened them again to find Mello smirking down at her. "I... I don't know." She admitted, shuddering slightly when he laughed deeply at her.

Mello laughed, resting his face a mere centimeter or so from Jerica's. "I know why," he teased, his lips lightly brushing her red stained ones as he spoke. "You want me." The blond whispered gently, smirking with a strange glint in his eyes.

Jerica opened his mouth angrily to protest. Mello, however, seemed to take this as an invitation to kiss her breathless - which he did without hesitation. He drew back, laughing again. "Luckily for you," he murmured between little kisses trailing down her slender neck. "I like redheads."


	6. Cynthia

Near stared rather blankly down at his hand as Halle - who was the only one at SPK headquarters with him now - fretted in her

Near stared rather blankly down at his hand as Halle - who was the only one at SPK headquarters with him now - fretted in her own special way. Spearing through the middle of his pale hand was a small metal bar; still baring the plastic wheel it had once held to one of his toy cars. Thick, dark blood was running sluggishly over the bar and dripping into a puddle on the floor beneath him.

Halle stared, mouth opening and closing slowly.

Near remained emotionless - only slightly disappointed at the destruction of his toy.

"My niece," Halle finally stated, sweeping back a lock of long hair. "She's a nurse. I can call her in..."

"You probably should," Near agreed, holding the impaled hand out and away from his body to avoid staining his white attire.

She nodded, hurrying off to a phone nearby and proceeding to have a short conversation with them. "She's nearby," Halle stated, heading towards the door. "I'm going to go meet her downstairs."

Near nodded his acceptance, eyes never straying from his hand.

Cynthia easily snapped closed her cell phone, slipping it into her oversized bag and heading off resolutely to the location Aunt Halle had given her. She weaved her way through the crowds of wanderers with a practiced ease, keeping a close eye on her dress. She had absolutely loved the long green button up when she bought it, but Cynthia soon found that the buttons had the bad habit of springing open. Seeing as she only wore this number when heading to the local pool - she did not consider it all that much of a problem. However, it would be a problem if the dress snapped open while she was treating her new 'patient'. Granted, the brunet had a swimsuit on underneath but still. Cynthia turned down a slightly smaller street, tucking her large white hat under her arm as she tried to wring out her long brown hair. Realizing almost instantly that she was fighting a losing battle, Cynthia decided instead to braid her hair before pulling the floppy hat on once again.

She stopped in front of the building that corresponded with Aunt Halle's address, looking over the imposing mass of steel and glass in interest. Spotting Halle inside, waving in a slightly stiff manner, Cynthia walked inside while still admiring the building.

"You like?" Halle asked teasingly while leading her over to the elevators.

"It's very impressive," Cynthia muttered in awe, obviously not noticing the undertone of the older woman's voice. Her aunt chose only to snort slightly, pushing the top of only two buttons in the elevator.

"Why only two buttons?" Cynthia asked, leaning forward to inspect them. She finally seemed to notice that her hat still sat upon her head and hastily removed it, stuffing it in her large bag.

"We only use two floors," Halle replied somewhat harshly.

The brunet frowned, leaning back again. "Well that's a terrible waste."

"Perhaps," Halle agreed, looking away. She and Cynthia had never been the best of friends - most likely due to the huge difference in their personalities. Halle imagined herself to be harsh and blunt while Cynthia was a daydreaming, enviromentalist warrior. Still - they were civil enough.

The rest of the ride up was spent in awkward silence - neither woman looking towards the other. After what felt like an eternity to both, the elevator binged and both scrambled to get out.

The ever-sensitive Cynthia instantly rushed over to Near who still sat in the middle of the room. She dropped to her knees before him, taking the pale boy's hand and lifting it until it was just inches from her face. Dark blue eyes observed it keenly, taking in details and trying to think out a manner to fix it. Near stared at her, looking -for once- somewhat startled. Finally drawing back, Cynthia shifted her eyes to those of the softly blushing Near.

"How in heaven's name did you do this?" She asked, causing him to frown.

"I am afraid that I am not sure how I sustained this injury. It happened quite quickly." He stated, meeting her eyes squarely - despite his blush.

Cynthia pursed her lips, humming in disapproval. She looked back down at Near's hand, tapping the end of the rod slightly. He stiffened, but said nothing. "This," she finally stated after inspecting the rod again. "Is entirely all your fault."

"What do you mean?" The white haired boy asked, tilting his head and playing absently with a curl. Halle stood - all but forgotten in the corner, smirking very slightly.

"This piece of metal," Cynthia stated, lifting Near's hand so it was at eye level. "Is about two inches long, which means it's part of the new Hot Wheels Mega line of toy cars."

Near nodded, slightly shocked that she knew this.

"They've been airing the recall all month," Cynthia stated matter of factly. "The axel is two heavy to be supported by the plastic frame for any extended amount of time. I bought a couple too - they all lost their wheels within the first couple hours..." The blue-eyed girl trailed off, pouting slightly when Halle muttered something along the lines of 'immature'. Cynthia stuck her tongue out somewhat peevishly, turning her attention back to Near. "There have been all kinds of accidents," she informed him. "Not quite as serious as this though."

He nodded slowly, ignoring the slight flush he felt creeping up his neck. "What shall we do?" Near asked, shifting his eyes to look down at his and Cynthia's clasped hands. She dropped her gaze down to their hands as well, blushing a bright pink and withdrawing.

"W-w-well," Cynthia stuttered, turning an even deeper shade of pink. The brunet girl gulped slightly, picking up her purse and routing around in it for a moment before withdrawing a small first aid kit. "It didn't hit any major arteries and the hole is small enough that it should heal itself - so I figured I would give you some mild painkillers and remove the bar."

Near considered it, looking down at his hand before nodding his acceptance. Cynthia wordlessly offered him a small bottle of ibuprofen, which the youngest of the group accepted with a small smile. They both flushed, looking away when their hands brushed slightly. Snorting loudly, Halle handed Near a small paper cup of water - also without a word, although it looked like she wanted to say something. The white haired boy swallowed both the pills and the water and went to crush the cup - but it was snatched from his hand before he had the chance.

Cynthia frowned down at him, wagging her finger lightly. "No, no, no. That's just plain wasteful - this cup can be reused or at least recycled!" The brunet folded up the cup, placing it in her bag.

"I apologize," Hal spoke for the first time since she had arrived on the floor. "Cynthia's an enviro-warrior."

"Cynthia?" Near repeated, considering the name silently.

"Oh!" The shorter woman cried suddenly turning back to him. "I'm sorry! I didn't introduce myself did I? I'm Cynthia Wolff" She went to offer Near her right had but changed to her left at the last second. With a small, grateful smile Near took her hand with his uninjured one.

"Near," he offered softly, studying her.

Cynthia grinned, brushing out the wrinkles in her dress as she looked down at him. "So... are you ready to take that thing out?"

Near nodded hesitantly as Cynthia kneeled before him once again. She nodded, holding the tip of the axel with one hand and Near's fingers with her other. She tightened her grip on the rod, biting her bottom lip nervously. "On the count of three," the girl stated, shifting slightly. "One... two... three." On three, Cynthia pulled sharply thus removing the small piece of metal easily. She instantly toke a piece of cotton wading that she had set aside moments before and pressed it to both sides of the womb to prevent bleeding. Near gasped sharply, but said nothing as Cynthia cleaned and dressed the small hole in his hand. "Well there you go," Cynthia said while easily wiping up the small puddle of blood that had ended up on the floor with a spare bit of gaze. She threw away what little of the resulting trash could not be recycled and stood, straightening her dress. She offered Near a small smile and nodded to her aunt. "I'll show myself out, best of luck to you Near."

The brunet girl turned to leave, but a firm hand of her forearm stopped her. Looking back she saw Near blushing very slightly while her aunt smirked. "Considering today's accident," he stated, drawing Cynthia's attention again. "I believe it would be prudent to keep a nurse on hand. Are you available?"

Cynthia blushed and Halle snorted, but still the brunet girl nodded - causing Near to grin. He reached down to the pile of toy cars surrounding him and picked up a pair of remote controlled ones - offering one to the blue-eyed girl. "Shall we?"


	7. Cassandra

Mikami sighed as softly as he could, resting his forehead against his intertwined fingers while observing his surroundings sil

Mikami sighed as softly as he could, resting his forehead against his intertwined fingers while observing his surroundings silently. He found himself, on this beautiful Wednesday afternoon, sat upon a bench in the small garden like area sat atop the court building - watching the people milling around him with a critical but slightly sad eye. If the man were truthful with himself - he would admit he was lonely - terribly so. It was days like this - beautiful, wondrous days seemingly made solely for lovers to enjoy each other's company - that made him wonder as to his own life. When would he find someone of his own to have and to hold the dark haired man wondered. Mikami stared soundlessly at those around him - all taking their lunches - and frowned. Who would want him for their -

"You are a horrible man!" A yell sounded like a gunshot through the open air - causing almost everyone to look for the source of such a declaration.

"You are a horrible woman!" An angry male yelled back. Mikami searched frantically for the fighting pair, locating them near the entrance to the stairs back down to the courtrooms. They were a mismatched pair - a tall, smarmy looking Japanese man with dark hair and an obviously foreign woman with beautiful golden hair dressed in a pure white dress. The man had a firm - to the point of being painful - grip on the woman's pale forearms and was using them to shake her rather violently.

Obviously the weaker of the two, the woman could only duck her head and as she was whipped about like a rag doll. The man paused in his violence, holding the smaller woman close to him.

"You," he spoke, sneering down at the woman. "Are a woman. It is you job and responsibility to keep house."

"Let me go!" the woman pleaded, tears glossing over her eyes.

"Yet you insist on running a business as you do? You belong behind a strong man!"

This, apparently, was the woman's breaking point. With a force that Mikami would never have credited the small woman with, she ripped away her bare arms. "You belong behind the strong bars of a jail cell!" She spat, stepping away from the man. The woman was angry - definitely, but by all appearance not at all dim. She could clearly see that even while enraged, she would be no match for the strength her male companion could call upon. "You were more than happy to work with me before. In fact, I recall that you were very excited about receiving such a large order for fabric. Even after you discovered I was a woman you were willing to take my money - but not to provide me with the materials I paid for. You're pathetic!"

The man, not to be mocked in front of such a crowd, growled low in his throat. He stepped forward, rising an open hand with obvious intent of slapping the woman - but instead found himself with his nose to the concrete floor.

Mikami pressed his knees against the man's back - perhaps with more force than was strictly necessary - and made sure to keep the man's hands pinned. He glanced up at the woman, ignoring the man beneath him for the moment. The lawyer had intended to ask the woman her state, but was at a loss for words. This woman was stunning. She had long, straight golden hair and soft looking pale skin. Her eyes were a stunning blue and... And she looked like an angel.

He cleared his throat, blinking his eyes rapidly - hoping to rid them of the shocked glaze he knew they held. "Are you alright Miss?"

"I am," the blond replied, her eyes wide.

Mikami offered her a slight smile before turning his attention to the man still trapped beneath his stronger frame. "I must insist," the dark haired man hissed, pressing his weight against the other man's back harshly. "that you not raise your hand to this lady again. Do you understand me?" The other nodded slowly, seeing his defeat. Moving to his feet gracefully, Mikami choose to ignore the violent man in favor of the blond woman.

"I am Teru Mikami," he offered to her, bowing slightly.

She stared for a moment, before awkwardly returning the gesture. "My name is Cassandra Kalomoiris."

"A pleasure, would you like to join me?" Mikami turned, gesturing to his meager lunch of sliced apples - grinning slightly when Cassandra nodded dazedly. He led her back to the bench, moving over to offer her space to sit. The blond remained in a daze until several minutes later - which Mikami spent nibbling his apple slice and observing his new companion.

"I sorry," Cassandra finally muttered, shaking her head slightly. She looked up at him, blue eyes overflowing with gratitude. "I just didn't expect anyone to actually interfere - ah thank you." She added the last bit, smiling slightly.

Mikami did not respond vocally, choosing instead to smile gently and slid his apple slices towards her in offering. Cassandra snorted softly, taking a slice. "So," she asked, biting a bit off the narrow end of her slice. "What brings you to this oh so wonderful place." She panned her eyes over the garden, frowning slightly.

"I'm a prosecutor," Mikami replied. "I don't believe I need to ask you the same question."

Cassandra blushed, her shoulders slumping. "Err yeah," she muttered nervously munching her bit of apple. "I'm sorry about that it's just... an entire order of dresses are now two weeks late because he refused to send me the fabric I paid for."

"Dresses?"

"Oh yes," Cassandra brightened, looking back up at him. "I'm a wedding dress designer - I own a company called Straight From Heaven - we make custom dresses."

Mikami smirked down at his shorter companion - causing her to look slightly nervous. "Straight From Heaven?" He repeated with a single eyebrow cocked.

Cassandra stared at him for a moment before smiling blindingly, soft giggles escaping her. "Well, you work with what you've got."

"Ah, so you are aware that you bare a striking resemblance to the modern perception of angels?"

Cassandra blushed slightly, biting her bottom lip and diverting her eyes. "Yes, yes I did."

"So it would be somewhat redundant if I were to comment that you look... heavenly?"

Cassandra squawked, laughing slightly as she smacked his arm. "Quite," she agreed, taking another slice of apple.

Mikami pressed his lips together slightly, resisting the urge to laugh along with the woman by his side. He turned his gaze away to look over the other people littering the garden. "So," he murmured, returning his eyes to the beautiful blond. "You must love all thing connected to weddings."

"Not all," she admitted, swinging slender legs slightly. "I think engagement rings are the most hideous rings on the face of the planet. What's more, every single one features diamonds - how unimaginative is that? I swear if anyone tries to propose to me with a diamond I think I'd kick him in the balls."

The dark haired man gulped, subtly sliding his legs closer together.

It was not done subtly enough, apparently, because Cassandra immediately took notice. "Why'd you do that?" she asked, head tilted rather cutely to the side. A smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she snorted slightly. "You plan to propose?"

"Perhaps," Mikami answered, causing Cassandra's eyes to widen in shock. "But only if you will grant me one thing?"

Cassandra leaned forward to better glimpse Mikami's face a light pink dusting her cheeks. "And what's that?" She asked, legs still swinging.

"A series of dates," he replied, not looking at her. "To better become acquainted with my bride-to-be."

The blond woman blushed deeper, her smile widening ever so slightly. She leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss against Mikami's flushed cheek. "I think that can be arranged."


End file.
